Welcome to the Piano World Piano ForumsOver 2.5 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

It's a very nice little piece, Claude. This may be just me, but I would prefer it just a little slower. To my ear it sounds a little frenetic at that tempo. I think a little less speed, a little more ease, would accentuate its grace and flow.

Seeing as you're done and it's meant to be an etude, there's no reason for me to critic... unless you want some

What would you do to give it more direction? What do you mean by the word direction itself? Do you mean that my piece modulates too much? Do you mean that it confuses you? Do you mean that the piece is without form? Do you mean that the underlying harmony of the sixteenth notes doesn't sound right?

After all, I on purposely did modulate like 8 times ha ha! - E Major, Eb Major, D minor, D Major, E Major, Ab Major, D minor, C Major, and recycling through many keys. That's part of the style anyways. However, there is a specific system I use to modulate. If I didn't modulate that many times, this etude wouldn't sound like Debussy, either that or this piece would sound like Debussy, but wouldn't be as complex as an etude.

Originally Posted By: currawong

If I were you I'd skip the "in C major" part of the title - as most of it isn't.

I think you already have an idea of what I mean since you mentioned pretty much everything I was going to say

There's nothing wrong with the modulations, they actually added to the dreamy effect but the melody was kind of neglected. It's hard to give suggestions for this kind of piece really. It's like Debussy meets New Age. If it was more on the romantic side, I could throw in my two cents.

I think you already have an idea of what I mean since you mentioned pretty much everything I was going to say

lol, actually no i don't know, i just listed what possibly could of been your criticisms, however I don't know exactly which ones your talking about. "Everything I was going to say" could of meant that you had two criticisms and I listed 5

currawong
6000 Post Club Member
Registered: 05/15/07
Posts: 6148
Loc: Down Under

Originally Posted By: Claude56

Originally Posted By: currawong

If I were you I'd skip the "in C major" part of the title - as most of it isn't.

Well, it ends in C Major. What key do you think the piece is in?

I'm not going to do a bar-by-bar analysis - it appears to move through a number of keys, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that! I just think that "in C major" in the title is unnecessary, especially when the opening key signature is 4 sharps! Confusing, too - my first thought when I glanced at the score was that the title was a misprint and you meant C# minor. But it's your piece - do what you like.

It is his piece and he should do what he likes! But indeed the pieces goes around and around, and changes key signatures a lot. It starts out with 4 sharps, if I recall, so really the C major is misleading I'm afraid.

Do you guys think there could be improvements? After all, even though I said I am done, nothing is definite, so I can always go back and change things.

This was a first time attempt in writing in a style like this, and it was a struggle to even keep everything in time. The smooth modulation techniques I used in this piece almost didn't even work. I was having trouble figuring out the semiquaver patterns for each chord change in the left hand, and when I had a pattern in mind, whenever it was played at a fast tempo, it would sound out of time.

When you guys meant by neglecting the melody, did you mean that the left hand played in the middle range of the keyboard was overpowering the melody?

Maybe next time when I write another piece like this, it will be better. Criticisms of the piece would be really helpful.